Yesterday, I thought I made a great accomplishment: I finished typing out a novel I wrote this summer. The more I think about it, it must be an accomplishment because a lot of people either start a novel and give up halfway through, or have an idea but aren’t sure how to start. Horray for me, then?
It wasn’t as much of a celebration as I imagined (definetly no cake), because I realized how much more I have to do if I ever want to get this novel published! It’s a bit overwhelming, especially with a list of ‘books to write someday’ piling up.
The first step, though: edit. A LOT. I tend to put in blank spaces where I don’t know the name of a character yet, and my manuscript is FULL of them (it really frustrates my editor friends). Then there’s the problem of the title: The vast majority of the stories I’ve written have remained untitled . It’s okay to have untitled art of you’re a sculptor or painter, but not for published novels! I have a feeling the editing process will take much longer than writing the rough draft did.
To be honest, editing is very good and completely necessary, but kind of exhausting. So I’ll keep other projects in the meantime so I never stop writing! I’ll keep submitting smaller pieces to Unlocked Daily Readings for Teens, keep finding contests, and keep posting on here to show that I’m committed to this writing thing! On top of that, I have a few story ideas that are anxiously awaiting being put to paper.
First-time publishing is a bit like being dropped into a city far from home where everything is in a language you’re still learning to speak. I already know that no matter how hard I try, I will make mistakes, and that it will be frustrating (speaking from experience). But at the same time, it’s an adventure. Stepping out of what you know is always scary, but you’re always learning something new and improving from every rejection.
-Abby Ciona
Abby Ciona 